Thai soldiers have resumed land clearing in disputed border areas in Banteay Meanchey, as well as playing loud eerie sounds at night which causes fear and health problems—deemed as psychological intimidation that violates the ceasefire agreement.
Around 11 a.m. on Monday, about 20-30 Thai soldiers arrived with a bulldozer to clear the land in Prey Chan village, O’Bei Choan commune, according to local eyewitnesses and government officials.
Banteay Meanchey provincial spokesperson Ly Sovannarith told CamboJA News that Thai soldiers started to clear the land where they had laid barbed wire fences on September 13.
He added that they played haunting music and ghostly sounds loudly at night which kept villagers awake and affected their mental health.
“Right now they are clearing the land again and we don’t see any barbed wire but we can see that they are setting up an internet connection and camera to observe our people,” said Sovannarith.
Lt. Gen. Weerayut Raksin, commander of Thailand’s Second Army Area, reportedly said his forces are ready to defend around the clock, vowing to “protect every inch of territory” and “reclaim” Ta Krabei and Khana temples.
Meanwhile, the Regional Border Committee (RBC) meeting scheduled for October 10-12 in Banteay Meanchey was postponed as the Thai side did not attend, said Vannarith.
At the time of writing, a resident of Prey Chan village, Hul Malis, said the Thai soldiers were clearing the land in her village.
She said at night they play disturbing music to the residents, causing them to suffer from sleep, hearing and health problems, such as chest pain, fever, and mental illness.
According to her, the Thai soldiers play the sounds between 10 p.m. and 3 a.m., and on some days it goes on all night although the authorities including ministry and information officers inspected the site. The sounds include helicopter hovering, dog barking, and women screaming.
“The sound is especially harmful to children and the elderly, who are easily frightened and have a fever because they could not sleep well or were afraid to sleep. The music is very disturbing at night, and it is loud [as it is] in front of my house. As an elderly person, I can’t sleep, but I got used to it and didn’t run away,” Malis said.
A Thai media outlet reported that the Thai 1st Army plans to clear explosives in Ban Nong Chan and Ban Nong Ya Kaew—areas Cambodia identifies as Chouk Chey and Prey Chan, which lie within its sovereign territory.
Prey Chan village is opposite Nong Ya Kaew village in Thailand, while the other disputed village, Chouk Chey, is located opposite Thailand’s Nong Chan village.
On October 11, officers from the Ministry of National Defence and defence attachés from the Interim Observer Team (IOT) visited Chouk Chey and Prey Chan villages in Banteay Meanchey to verify reports of the loudspeakers broadcasting eerie sounds at night.
Another resident, Yi Phoeuk, spoke about his fear and sleeplessness, when he tries to sleep and look for food at night to feed his family.
“I have always been afraid of ghosts. My heart beats very fast when I hear the [eerie] sounds. I don’t dare to go out to look for frogs or fish at night,” Phoeuk said.
On Sunday, Prak Sokhonn, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, reaffirmed Cambodia’s firm commitment to resolving disputes peacefully and in full accordance with international law.
“Cambodia has no intention of claiming what is not ours, but we will never accept losing what rightfully belongs to us. We seek a fair, impartial, and rules-based solution — one that can secure lasting peace for our peoples,” he said in Kuala Lumpur.
Earlier, the Cambodian Human Rights Committee (CHRC) alerted the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to serious human rights violations committed by the Royal Thai Armed Forces along the Cambodia–Thailand border.
It called on the UN to investigate the reported incidents and ensure accountability, while demanding an immediate end to psychological intimidation of Cambodian civilians.
CHRC also asked for medical and psychological support to affected villagers and promote cross-border dialogue to prevent recurrence and uphold the ceasefire spirit.
Responding to the appeal Thai Senator Angkhana Neelapaijit said her government should be aware of “any action that instills fear or affects the mental well-being of civilians, even those in a conflict, especially vulnerable groups, may constitute psychological torture under the CAT (Committee Against Torture) Convention, to which Thailand is a party”. “I would like to hear how the government will clarify this matter on the global stage,” she said.
The Cambodia–Thailand border clashes came to a halt with a ceasefire agreement on July 28 followed by a 13-point implementation agreement concluded on August 7.
Volker Türk of the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights said Thailand which has detained Cambodian soldiers should comply with international laws stating that military personnel detained in the course of an armed conflict are treated fully in accordance with applicable international human rights law and international humanitarian law.
Türk urged Cambodia and Thailand “to fully respect the ceasefire arrangement and to act to ensure the protection of civilians”. He said his office is committed to supporting both governments and upholding their human rights obligations.
National Defense Ministry spokesperson Maly Socheata declined to comment further on the situation.
Pen Bona, government spokesperson, told CamboJA News that they have taken action in the border dispute and would take further diplomatic action through the foreign ministry and government agent.
“What we did is already seen in public. We filed a lawsuit and we debated through a lot of [mechanisms]. We only publish what we have done. We can’t share the next move right now,” said Bona.
